“Something exciting is happening in Eastern Devon”

The One Eastern Devon partnership is a new alliance of local government, public sector organisations, the NHS, the voluntary sector, faith groups and universities/ higher education institutions that have come together to tackle some of the key health and wellbeing issues facing communities across Eastern Devon.

Single organisations alone cannot tackle the range of interconnected issues that impact on people and communities in Eastern Devon, particularly in hard-pressed times. Recognising and responding to this, senior leaders have established this new partnership to align and accelerate joint programmes that will make a lasting difference.

One Eastern Devon is part of the recently established place-based partnerships that form part of the Integrated Care System that was established in 2022. In Devon these place-based partnerships are called Local Care Partnerships.

Councillor Ian Hall, Devon County Councillor for Axminster and Appointed Governor for Devon County Council at the Royal Devon, is the joint chair of One Eastern Devon. Here he gives his views on this emerging partnership:

“When I first heard about a new partnership being set up in Eastern Devon bringing together the key players across the locality, I have to confess as I was a bit sceptical. My long involvement in local government has taught me to be wary of good intentions that then flounder when it comes to delivery. 

One year on, as joint chair of the One Eastern Devon partnership, I can safely say my initial reservations were misplaced – though I am realistic about the fact that much more needs to be done to now convert our ambitions into reality.

The cause of my optimism is that for a partnership that been in existence for just 9 months, we are already developing new ways of working based on trust, openness and a real sense of common purpose. The partnership is increasingly seen as a vehicle for meeting shared objectives rather than being something that gets in the way. Fundamental to this, is developing a culture that cooperates rather than competes; that works in equal partnership with voluntary and community groups; and that understands that genuine partnerships work best when you are doing something together and not just talking about it. The commitment that everyone involved in One Eastern Devon to this agenda underlines for me that this way of working heralds a new approach that is less concerned about hierarchy or organisational boundaries but is focused on real people and real places.

In the spirit of building partnerships by doing real work, we have chosen to focus first on community mental health issues and the extent to which all partners involved can contribute to this agenda. This focus has emerged through discussion and reflects the data about mental health in Eastern Devon and some of the insights we have gathered from communities and community groups.

We are now at a stage where we are seeking commitments from across our partners to a joined-up approach to improving mental health at community level to better support people before they need access to services. This focus doesn’t exclude tackling other issues and I have been heartened by the fact that partners are now using the space we have created to foster new alliances on a range of areas.

From a local authority perspective, the county and district councils are engaged, and connections are being made to town and parish councils. These tiers of local government have a unique and powerful opportunity to influence this agenda and to ensure neighbourhoods and communities are shaping what happens. Housing, leisure, green spaces, local environmental quality are all functions of local authorities and all these things impact the health and wellbeing of all of us.

So, this is an exciting time to be involved in this emerging partnership and one that has the potential to be game changer. Something exciting is happening in Eastern Devon.

We all know, and experience, the difficulties in accessing public services given the complex pressures being faced. This partnership could be key to helping people stay well and supported in their own community, needing public services frequently and less intensively because they are more resilient and more meaningfully connected to their community through a rebalanced approach focussing more on ensuring wellness rather than treating illness.”